Covid-19 and The Transport industry
COVID-19 OUTBREAK AND THE TRANSPORT INDUSTRY; EFFECTS, CHALLENGES AND PROSPECTS
It is indeed common knowledge that there is a contagious virus spreading fast across the world today and until recently our dearly beloved country, Nigeria. The Corona virus also known as COVID-19 began in China towards the end of 2019 and quickly spread across the world affecting various countries and people irrespective of race, age, gender, ethnicity or social status. On March 11, the World Health Organization (W.H.O) officially declared COVID-19 a global Pandemic.
In a bid to curtail the sporadic spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, several countries of the world are constrained to enforce a general lock down to the effect that its citizens must now remain at home or in isolation. This has no doubt had a ripple effect on commercial activities as a number of businesses and industries were forced to shut down operations.
In these essay, I hope to consider and highlight, the effects of the deadly virus in the transport industry discussing the challenges and prospects of the industry after things must have returned to normalcy.
The aim is to identify the very dire effects of the Corona virus disease (Covid-19) on commuters and operators highlighting their challenges and the prospect of a better industry in the nearest future.
While until recently, Britain surpassed Italy with the highest number of deaths due to the novel virus, The number of deaths, are rising in geometric progression while the number of food production is growing only in arithmetic progression, which succinctly supports “The Thomas Malthus theory of population” to an extent.
The unprecedented impacts and disruptions as a result of Corona virus known as Covid-19 is affecting all economies and markets globally as it cuts across every sector from the petroleum sector which has seen great fall in selling of crude oil to as low as one dollar per barrel to the education sector with the closure of schools to cushion the rate of spread and the transport sector which has witnessed one of the greatest hits by the virus, with no motorist or commuters available for transportation owing to the lockdown.
In these essay we’re examining the effects of the Corona virus outbreak particularly on the transport industry, examining it’s effects challenges and prospects in the immediate aftermath of the Outbreak or spread.
The Oxford advanced learner’s dictionary, tenth edition defines Transportation thus ; The transportation industry, public transportation is the system of buses, transit etc. Provided for people to travel from one place to another. Also, Lockdown is defined by the same dictionary as an official order to control the movement of people or vehicles because of a dangerous situation.
The Right of the citizenry to freedom of movement is enshrined in section 41 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as an fundamental right, although this right is not absolute and hence the lockdown policy by the nation’s of the world and Nigeria is not a misnomer, but a step in the right direction as the continuous movement of persons would lead to even more rapid spread of the virus.
The effects of the Corona virus pandemic is very much glaring and evident most especially in the transport industry, A BBC index has gathered that prior to the announcement by the Chinese authorities of being free from the Corona virus, that not less than ten thousand persons were stranded in different towns in China owing to the lockdown measures that were in place by the government.
Item two (2) of the self protection guideline by the Nigerian Center For Disease Control (NCDC) says “avoid close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness. Inaddition, the United Kingdom's National Health Service (NHS) has defined “Close Contact” as being within two meters of an infected person for more than fifteen minutes.
The Public transport in the world is greatly affected by these as every commuter is expected to keep a distance of two meters which is about five feet (5ft) between anyone who is coughing or sneezing repeatedly, in the “Nation’s paradise” which is Cross River State, motorist have been mandated to convey not more than two passengers per taxi and four for the buses as the case may be.
A major challenge in the transport industry especially for the he drivers are no or low patronage which varies according to measures put in place by different states of the world, while some states of the world are on total lockdown some others are on partial lockdown for unaffected areas. It is a known fact that about fifty percent (50%) of Nigeria’s population and indeed the world at large make use of public transportation (LAMATA,2016).
David Nabarro, a special adviser on the Corona Virus for the World Health Organization (WHO) told the BBC that “although public transport was an important thing to look at, the evidence suggested that the kind of “fleeting contact” people have when travelling together so far did not seem to be the “most important source of transmission”.
Notwithstanding the above, it is obvious as recorded in China where transportation played a major role in spread, a very sparking challenge is the terminals and bus stops for loading and offloading of most transport companies are crowded while vehicles may also be overloaded with tight seating arrangements and hence the spread would be inevitable.
Even though the fall in passenger transport demand is pushed by social distancing restrictions, COVID-19 may have a long-term effect on people's travel behaviour. This challenge is certainly obvious owing to the fear the pandemic has put people into.
In the midst of the pandemic, the transport industry has adjusted, as many players in the transportation sector are adapting to these changing demands. For instance, American Airlines and some of its peers have converted many of the passenger flights to carry goods. These idle airplanes have been assigned to carry e-commerce, medical supplies and office cargo.
In China, autonomous vehicles were piloted to provide 'touchless' service to provide delivery issues while reducing the risk of spread of the disease. Indian Railways have simultaneously cancelled passenger trains and ramped up parcel services and other freight services for essential commodities.
The prospects of the transport industry is bright in Nigeria as the transportation sectors contribution to Nigeria’s GDP increased to $720.241 million in the third quarter of 2019 from $642.927 million in the second quarter of 2019 and contributed 2.49 percent to nominal GDP in Q1 2019, an increase from 1.85 percent recorded in the corresponding period of 2018, higher than 2.05 percent recorded in the fourth quarter of 2018.
In conclusion, the need and importance of the transport industry, being a daily necessity for the movement of goods and services ocassions revaluating and restructuring the entire transport system by the government participating and getting more involved in its development, collaboration and partnership with more advanced transport nations ,encouragement of more professionalism, proper regulation and monitoring, deployment of modern technology and communication systems in driving the sector, enacting and formulating modern policies and also tailoring it to fit our environment
And lastly but not the least; establishment of a think tank group to develop more strategies in building a more sustainable and globally competitive transport sector.
References/Sources:-
•https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/03/china-covid-19-coronavirus-mobility-solutions/ retrieved 3rd June, 2020
•https://www.livemint.com/news/india/covid-19-railways-to-turn-coaches-into-isolation-centre-for-patients-11585400513307.html retrieved 30th May
•https://www.pymnts.com/coronavirus/2020/covid-19-airlines-shift-from-passengers-to-cargo/
•National Health Service (NHS) UK COVID19 Guide https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/ Retrieved 25th May 2020
•NCDC18th march 2020| public health advisory to Nigerians on coronavirus disease https://ncdc.gov.ng/news/237/update-on-covid-19-in-nigeria retrieved 27th May 2020
It is indeed common knowledge that there is a contagious virus spreading fast across the world today and until recently our dearly beloved country, Nigeria. The Corona virus also known as COVID-19 began in China towards the end of 2019 and quickly spread across the world affecting various countries and people irrespective of race, age, gender, ethnicity or social status. On March 11, the World Health Organization (W.H.O) officially declared COVID-19 a global Pandemic.
In a bid to curtail the sporadic spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, several countries of the world are constrained to enforce a general lock down to the effect that its citizens must now remain at home or in isolation. This has no doubt had a ripple effect on commercial activities as a number of businesses and industries were forced to shut down operations.
In these essay, I hope to consider and highlight, the effects of the deadly virus in the transport industry discussing the challenges and prospects of the industry after things must have returned to normalcy.
The aim is to identify the very dire effects of the Corona virus disease (Covid-19) on commuters and operators highlighting their challenges and the prospect of a better industry in the nearest future.
While until recently, Britain surpassed Italy with the highest number of deaths due to the novel virus, The number of deaths, are rising in geometric progression while the number of food production is growing only in arithmetic progression, which succinctly supports “The Thomas Malthus theory of population” to an extent.
The unprecedented impacts and disruptions as a result of Corona virus known as Covid-19 is affecting all economies and markets globally as it cuts across every sector from the petroleum sector which has seen great fall in selling of crude oil to as low as one dollar per barrel to the education sector with the closure of schools to cushion the rate of spread and the transport sector which has witnessed one of the greatest hits by the virus, with no motorist or commuters available for transportation owing to the lockdown.
In these essay we’re examining the effects of the Corona virus outbreak particularly on the transport industry, examining it’s effects challenges and prospects in the immediate aftermath of the Outbreak or spread.
The Oxford advanced learner’s dictionary, tenth edition defines Transportation thus ; The transportation industry, public transportation is the system of buses, transit etc. Provided for people to travel from one place to another. Also, Lockdown is defined by the same dictionary as an official order to control the movement of people or vehicles because of a dangerous situation.
The Right of the citizenry to freedom of movement is enshrined in section 41 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as an fundamental right, although this right is not absolute and hence the lockdown policy by the nation’s of the world and Nigeria is not a misnomer, but a step in the right direction as the continuous movement of persons would lead to even more rapid spread of the virus.
The effects of the Corona virus pandemic is very much glaring and evident most especially in the transport industry, A BBC index has gathered that prior to the announcement by the Chinese authorities of being free from the Corona virus, that not less than ten thousand persons were stranded in different towns in China owing to the lockdown measures that were in place by the government.
Item two (2) of the self protection guideline by the Nigerian Center For Disease Control (NCDC) says “avoid close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness. Inaddition, the United Kingdom's National Health Service (NHS) has defined “Close Contact” as being within two meters of an infected person for more than fifteen minutes.
The Public transport in the world is greatly affected by these as every commuter is expected to keep a distance of two meters which is about five feet (5ft) between anyone who is coughing or sneezing repeatedly, in the “Nation’s paradise” which is Cross River State, motorist have been mandated to convey not more than two passengers per taxi and four for the buses as the case may be.
A major challenge in the transport industry especially for the he drivers are no or low patronage which varies according to measures put in place by different states of the world, while some states of the world are on total lockdown some others are on partial lockdown for unaffected areas. It is a known fact that about fifty percent (50%) of Nigeria’s population and indeed the world at large make use of public transportation (LAMATA,2016).
David Nabarro, a special adviser on the Corona Virus for the World Health Organization (WHO) told the BBC that “although public transport was an important thing to look at, the evidence suggested that the kind of “fleeting contact” people have when travelling together so far did not seem to be the “most important source of transmission”.
Notwithstanding the above, it is obvious as recorded in China where transportation played a major role in spread, a very sparking challenge is the terminals and bus stops for loading and offloading of most transport companies are crowded while vehicles may also be overloaded with tight seating arrangements and hence the spread would be inevitable.
Even though the fall in passenger transport demand is pushed by social distancing restrictions, COVID-19 may have a long-term effect on people's travel behaviour. This challenge is certainly obvious owing to the fear the pandemic has put people into.
In the midst of the pandemic, the transport industry has adjusted, as many players in the transportation sector are adapting to these changing demands. For instance, American Airlines and some of its peers have converted many of the passenger flights to carry goods. These idle airplanes have been assigned to carry e-commerce, medical supplies and office cargo.
In China, autonomous vehicles were piloted to provide 'touchless' service to provide delivery issues while reducing the risk of spread of the disease. Indian Railways have simultaneously cancelled passenger trains and ramped up parcel services and other freight services for essential commodities.
The prospects of the transport industry is bright in Nigeria as the transportation sectors contribution to Nigeria’s GDP increased to $720.241 million in the third quarter of 2019 from $642.927 million in the second quarter of 2019 and contributed 2.49 percent to nominal GDP in Q1 2019, an increase from 1.85 percent recorded in the corresponding period of 2018, higher than 2.05 percent recorded in the fourth quarter of 2018.
In conclusion, the need and importance of the transport industry, being a daily necessity for the movement of goods and services ocassions revaluating and restructuring the entire transport system by the government participating and getting more involved in its development, collaboration and partnership with more advanced transport nations ,encouragement of more professionalism, proper regulation and monitoring, deployment of modern technology and communication systems in driving the sector, enacting and formulating modern policies and also tailoring it to fit our environment
And lastly but not the least; establishment of a think tank group to develop more strategies in building a more sustainable and globally competitive transport sector.
References/Sources:-
•https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/03/china-covid-19-coronavirus-mobility-solutions/ retrieved 3rd June, 2020
•https://www.livemint.com/news/india/covid-19-railways-to-turn-coaches-into-isolation-centre-for-patients-11585400513307.html retrieved 30th May
•https://www.pymnts.com/coronavirus/2020/covid-19-airlines-shift-from-passengers-to-cargo/
•National Health Service (NHS) UK COVID19 Guide https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/ Retrieved 25th May 2020
•NCDC18th march 2020| public health advisory to Nigerians on coronavirus disease https://ncdc.gov.ng/news/237/update-on-covid-19-in-nigeria retrieved 27th May 2020
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